


Rules

by mormorando (shine)



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-03
Updated: 2007-11-03
Packaged: 2017-10-28 06:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/304616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shine/pseuds/mormorando
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the end, it begins with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules

Byakuya looked out the window and saw that it was quickly approaching late afternoon, the sun much lower in the sky than it had been when he first sat down to do his calligraphy exercises.

Urahara-san would be coming over soon and Byakuya wanted to be done before then. He had been promised to be shown a new trick in how to better his shunpo and he was, well – excited was a bit of an understatement. He had to work harder than ever to concentrate today, his body seeming to not want to cooperate as he fidgeted back and forth and it showed on the papers, the slopes and hooks holding a slight waver to them.

The manor was strangely empty today and Byakuya wondered if it had anything to do with the explosion that happened a few days ago. His parents and grandparents refused to tell him about what happened but he knew it was what they discussed in hushed tones after excusing him from dinner that evening.

Matsumoto, who everyone knew was a big gossip, told him after kidou class the next day that it had been Urahara-san's fault, that he hadn't been following the rules and destroyed an entire block of Seireitei. Worst of all was that some had even died because of it.

Byakuya had, of course, told Matsumoto that she knew nothing and that Urahara-san would never do something as horrible as that. Matsumoto pinched him for not believing her and he got angry, pushing her back – Urahara-san would never, she was wrong.

That night, his father yelled at him for hitting a girl and when Byakuya tried to explain to him and his mother the things Matsumoto had said about how it was Urahara-san's fault but Byakuya knew, he knew for sure, that he would _never_ \- he never finished explaining when his father slapped him for his insolence.

Since then, he hasn't talked to anyone at the academy unless he absolutely had to.

But Urahara-san was finally coming over today and Byakuya could ask him himself. Urahara-san would tell him the truth and then he would show that Matsumoto what _she_ knew.

He took extra long with the very last stroke, wanting to make sure that he didn't mess it up and had to start all over again. Lifting the brush up slowly, he dipped it into bowl of water and rinsed it out before setting it on a cloth to dry.

"Still doing your calligraphy, Byakuya?"

Byakuya's head jerked up and his eyes were wide and gleaming as he bounced a little in his seat.

"Urahara-san! I didn't hear you knock," he exclaimed, grinning. He then pointed to the neat stack of papers in front of him. "And you're wrong. I beat you."

Urahara-san laughed loudly and he almost thought he had done something silly when he was suddenly patted on the head.

"Augh, Urahara-san!" He batted the hand away, but paused suddenly. "Where's your haori?"

"It's heavy, ne?" he replied easily. "Slows one down during shunpo."

Nodding as if he understood completely, Byakuya then perked up at the word 'shunpo'.

"Someone's eager, I see," Urahara-san teased.

Byakuya blushed a little. "So?" he challenged. "You said you were going to teach me a new trick. You better not have been lying!"

"You wound me, young Kuchiki."

Pursing his lips, he looked at Urahara-san in a very unimpressed manner. "Last time you told me that Yamamoto-soutaichou didn't like germs and so I almost fainted from trying not to cough in front of him!"

"Like was the operative term, Byakuya."

Sputtering, Byakuya crossed his arms and scowled. "Are we going outside or not?"

Urahara-san's grin grew wider. "Of course, young Kuchiki-sama." He stepped aside and gestured towards the open door. "After you."

Scowling a bit, Byakuya stood from his seat. "Don't call me that."

"Ah? But you are, after all, nobility and I am but a commoner."

Byakuya stepped out of the room and turned around, waiting for Urahara-san to follow. "No," he said as if it was obvious. And it was to him. "You're a taichou."

Urahara-san only smiled at him, hands folded in his sleeves.

"Come," he said finally, reaching out to place his hand behind Byakuya's back, nudging him forward. "The day is not getting any younger." He paused and pressed a finger to his mouth. "And neither am I," he mumbled with a small frown.

Snickering, Byakuya pushed his hair out of his eyes. He really hated that stupid kenseikan. "You're going to look like Yamamoto-soutaichou soon!" His laughter turned into a squeak when his hands were suddenly bound together on top of his head. "Urahara-san!" he cried indignantly. "Let me go!"

"Hm?" Urahara-san mumbled vaguely. "Is there something wrong? Your arms will get tired if you keep holding them up like that."

Byakuya frowned, twisting his mouth petulantly, but otherwise stayed silent. Fine. He could take this. He didn't even need his hands to shunpo.

They walked to a clearing behind the manor, a large grassy area that Byakuya's father had used when training new members of his division. But he hadn't had a new member in years and Byakuya found that he really liked going out there to take naps and, lately, practice shunpo.

Urahara-san followed him as he kept going, almost speed-walking until he reached the very, very center of the clearing (Byakuya liked things that were the very center, or very top, or very beginning), which by then, his neck was starting to hurt from the weight of his hands. He didn't even know he had such heavy bones, but he wasn't going to start complaining.

Spinning around, he raised his chin at Urahara-san defiantly. He supposed it would probably have had a greater effect if he weren't so much shorter than him. But that would change when he got older. Of course it would. It had better. He hoped it would. He might start doing some stretching exercises that night to get a head start.

"Alright, teach me," Byakuya demanded, trying to look as least ridiculous as he could.

"Now is that any way to talk to your elders?"

"You like bullying children so I think I can say whatever I want," he shot back.

Urahara-san hummed thoughtfully, and then leaned down suddenly, grinning in Byakuya's face, making him pull back in surprise.

"Perhaps you speak some truth, Kuchiki-sama."

And before Byakuya could protest once more, Urahara-san grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands apart as if he were a rag doll, muttering about the special laws of shunpo as he started putting Byakuya's limbs in awkward positions.

\---

After nearly three hours of practice, there was almost no light left in the sky and Byakuya flopped onto his back on the grass, put out as always that it was softer than the sleeping mat in his room.

Urahara-san sat down next to his head and smiled at him. "You just might be able to beat Yoruichi-san one day, Byakuya."

Byakuya yawned and turned onto his side, reaching up and fisting the material of Urahara-san's hakama. "I bet I could beat her _tomorrow_ ," he mumbled. "Ne, Urahara-san," he continued drowsily, trying to keep his eyes open but not succeeding very well.

"Yes?"

"Matsumoto told me that you did something really bad but I said she was stupid because you're a taichou and everyone knows that taichous would never do anything to hurt anyone. Right, Urahara-san? You wouldn't…"

Urahara-san didn't say or do anything for a few seconds and he was about to ask again when he heard him make a small sound of agreement. "Ah. Taichous would never hurt anyone."

Byakuya smiled to himself. He knew it. He had known it the entire time. Matsumoto just liked to make things up because she had nothing better to do, and now he would show her once they were back in school.

As he drifted off, he felt Urahara-san pat his head lightly.

"You'll be a fine taichou, hm?"

\---

Byakuya stared from his spot behind his father as Yamamoto-soutaichou chanted spell after spell around Urahara-san.

The only reason why he was here was because his father had wanted him to see what kind of man Urahara-san truly was. Byakuya knew his father held a disliking towards him, but Urahara-san had always been good to him, teaching him interesting things that the academy instructors thought were unnecessary or too dangerous.

He didn't want to believe it was him, that Urahara-san really did such a horrible thing. But mostly, Byakuya didn't want to believe that Urahara-san lied to him.

"You said taichous would never hurt anyone!" he yelled, running past his father to stand in the space between him and Urahara-san. "That's what you said!" No one paid any attention to him, instead acting as if he wasn't there but it didn't matter, he didn't care about them either.

Urahara-san didn't answer, not couldn't, but didn't, and Byakuya's mouth fell open as he watched him turn around and walk through the senkaimon without even a backwards glance.

\---

Byakuya stood in the shadows while his fukutaichou fought against one Kurosaki Ichigo, but his attention was not on them. It had not been since the moment they had arrived in the real world.

He was all too aware of the extra source of reiatsu coming from behind him, one that he had not felt for an exceedingly long period of time and thought he had forgotten about. It annoyed him when he discovered that that wasn't the case. The reiatsu was faint but it was there and Byakuya wondered if he was doing this on purpose.

Taking a step forward, Byakuya pushed away those unnecessary thoughts and told his fukutaichou to step back and let him handle it.

After all, he knew the rules the best.


End file.
